Furnace for burning wet material



p 1934- R. M. HARDGROVE ET AL 1,973,705

FURNACE FOR BURNING WET MATERIAL Fi'led'Jan. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.I

INVENTORS ATTORN EYS Sept. 18, 1934. R. M. HA DGRovE ET AL 7 FURNACE FOR BURNING WET MATERIAL Filed Jan. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 12% 7m/7a/W FIG. 2 WI3WNTORJ Patents ept. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FURNACE FOR BURNING WET MATERIAL of Delaware Application January 27,

1930, Serial No. 423,579

9 Claims. (Cl. 110-10) This invention relates to a furnace by means of which wet materials such as bagasse, garbage, and the like may be-burned both for the purpose of getting rid of the material and also for utilizing heat that is produced by burning the ma-' terial. It has been found that when driers are used for removing the moisture from such material for the purpose of burning -it, the expense for the driers is sometimes too great to m make the operation profitable. By the present invention such materials can be burned very rapidly and efiectively at a minimum cost.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through an illustrative embodiment of the invention and Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings reference character 1 indicates a furnace above which a boiler 2 for generating steam may be located, so that the steam generating surfaces thereof will be contacted by the hot products of combustion from the furnace.

A wall of the furnace is provided with a row of upwardly extending tubes 3 that may be lined with the well known Bailey blocks to complete the wall of the furnace. The lower ends of the tubes extend into a lower header 5 and the upper ends of these tubes are bent upwardly and extend into a header 6. The headers 5 and 6 may be connected to the circulation system of the boiler in the usual way. One or more powdered fuel burners '7, such as powdered coal burners, is located in this wall.

A row of upwardly extending tubes s (Fig. 2) is provided along each side wall of the furnace.

- The lower ends of the tubes 8 extend into headers 9 and the upper ends into headers lb. The headers 9 and 10 may be connected by one or more recirculating tubes 11 and these headers may be connected to the water circulation system of the boiler in the usual way.

A row of upwardly extending tubes 12 is provided along each side of an extension 13 at one side of the furnace. The lower ends of the tubes 12 enter lower headers 14 and the upper ends of these tubes enter upper headers 15, these headers being connected to the water circulation system of the boiler in the usual way. The tubes 8 and 12 may be lined with Bailey blocks, as

above described.

A row of tubes 16 extends along a wall of the furnace opposite the tubes 3 from the lower header 1'? upwardly for a short distance, then at a sloping angle, as indicated at 18. These tubes may be lined with bare iron blocks 19 to provide a smooth floor which may be provided with openings 20 at intervals between the blocks for air. The upper ends of the tubes 16 enter the header 21.

A row of tubes 22 extends from a lower header 23 located at a somewhat higher elevation than the header 21. The tubes 22 extend upwardly at an angle from the header 23 and are lined with Bailey blocks 24. The upper ends of the tubes 22 extend outwardly into a. header 25. The headers 17, 21, 23 and 25 may also be connected to the circulation system of the boiler. The upwardly sloping roof of the extension 13 may be carried forward into the furnace as shown to provide a contracted cross-section area for gas' flowing fromthe furnace 1. 7

A feeder, or hopper 26 is provided at the end of the extension 13 for feeding the wet material, 'such as bagasse, garbage, etc. on the sloping floor of this extension. Pushers 27, of the well known type, may be provided at the bottom of the feeder as for pushing the material on to the sloping floor through the openings 28.

The floor 29 of the furnace 1 is made of refractory material and is supported upon cross I-beams 30 and a slag'tap opening 31 may be provided in a side wall of the furnace near the floor 29. I

In operating the furnace, it is first heated by fuel introduced through the burners and the wet material is pushed upon the floor of the extension 13 and is dried as it is being moved downwardly along the floor receiving heat through radiation from the blocks 24 which line the upwardly extending roof of the extension 13, and its lower portion undergoes combustion, the ash falling to the floor 29, possibly with a portion of the unburned material, where the com- 9 bustion is completed. Air may be passed through openings 20 in the slopingfloor of the extension and aid in drying the material and also in burning the same after it becomes sumciently dry. In cases where the heating value of the burning material that enters through the hopper 2c is suficiently great, the burning of the same may develop sumcient heat to avoid the necessity of continuing the introduction of fuel through the burner 7 for the purpose of causing the wet material to be entirely consumed. However, in cases. where more heat is needed than is developed by the burning of this material, additional fuel may be introduced through the burner 7 for generating steam in the boiler 2 or for comterial through an inclined drying and burning zone, drying and burning the material therein,

melting the incombustible residue, collecting and maintaining it in a molten state in a pool subjacent said zone, and intermittently tapping the molten residue from the pool.

2. A method of wet material disposal comprising progressively passing the material through an inclined drying and burning zone, drying and burning the material therein, melting the incombustible residue, collecting and maintaining it in a molten state in a pool subjacent said zone, and intermittently tapping the molten residue from the pool.

3. A method of wet material disposal comprising passing the material through a drying and burning zone, drying and burning the material therein, melting the incombustible residue, collecting and maintaining the molten residuein a pool subjacent said zone, and tapping the molten residue from the pool.

4. In a furnace for burning wet material, means including a furnace bottom for melting and maintaining the incombustible residue from said material in a molten pool, an apertured drying and burning floor, having a smooth material supporting surface positioned above and at one side of said bottom, said floor sloping downwardly toward the bottom to discharge incombustible residue thereto, means for feeding wet material onto said floor, and means for wlthdrawing molten material from said pool.

5. In a furnace for burning wet material, means including a furnace bottom for melting and maintaining the incombustible residue from said material in a molten pool, a drying and burning floor having a material supporting surface positioned at one side of said bottom, said floor sloping downwardly toward the bottom to .bottom for melting and maintaining the incombustible residue from the material burned in a molten pool, an apertured drying and burning floor having a material supporting surface positioned at one side of said bottom, said floor sloping downwardly toward the bottom to discharge material thereto, means for feeding material to be burned onto said floor, and means for withdrawing molten material from said pool.

7. In a furnace for burning wet material, means including a furnace bottom and a fluid fuel burner for melting and maintaining the incombustible residue from said material in a molten pool, a drying and burning floor having a material supporting surface positioned at one side of said bottom, said floor sloping downwardly toward the bottom to discharge material thereto, means for feeding wet material onto said floor, and means for withdrawing molten material from said pool.

8. In a furnace for burning wet material, means including a furnace bottom for melting and maintaining the incombustible residue from said material in a molten pool, a fluid cooled drying and burning floor having a material supporting surface positioned at one side of said bottom, said floor sloping downwardly toward the bottom to discharge material thereto, means for feeding wet material onto said floor, andmeans for withdrawing molten material from said pool.

9. In a furnace for burning wet material, means including a furnace bottom for melting and maintaining the incombustible residue from said material in a molten pool, a drying and burning floor having a material supporting surface positioned at one side of said bottom, said floor sloping downwardly toward the bottom to discharge material thereto, means for feeding wet material onto said floor, means for withdrawing molten material from said pool, and an ignition arch arranged to reflect heat-from said furnace onto said floor.

RALPH M. HARDGROVE.

MICHAEL D. JONES. 

